Cataract surgery marathon
George Hospital, in partnership with the provincial district hospitals in the Eden and Central Karoo, plans an extended cataract surgery marathon in September and October this year.
The team, consisting of ophthalmologists and nurses, will travel to outlying hospitals across the district to treat patients in need of cataract surgeries.
A cataract is the clouding of the lens of the eye, which obstructs the passage of light. Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness in South Africa (over 50%) and for most patients, it can be reversed through a simple operation that takes less than 30 minutes and provides the absolute restoration of sight.
The marathon kicks off in Plettenberg Bay on 5 September and their route is taking them to Knysna, Mossel Bay, Riversdale, Uniondale, Beaufort West and back to George for Eye Awareness Week from 10 to 14 October. Thereafter the team travels to Oudtshoorn, where the tour ends on 19 October.
2000 km travelled
During the six weeks, the team will travel nearly 2000 km and aim to treat over 400 patients. This is roughly equal to the number of patients who will receive cataract surgeries in provincial hospitals in the locality for the remainder of the year.
The driving force behind this project is Dr Klaas Stempels, a specialist ophthalmologist and eye surgeon at George Hospital. Dr Stempels was trained in Belgium, came to South Africa in 1999, and has been employed at George Hospital since 2002. He is passionate about achieving the goals of Vision 2020, the global initiative for the elimination of preventable blindness by the year 2020, a joint programme of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB).
Extensive planning
The cataract surgery marathon has required extensive planning by the team. All the specialist equipment, including the operating theatre instruments and consumables used during the operations will be transported by members of the team. The appropriate patient selection is also important, as all patients are required to undergo specific measurements and tests in advance to allow for the careful planning of their surgeries.
The cataract surgery marathon initiative would not be possible without the support of various community organisations. Knysna’s Lions Club contributed towards the costs of operations in Plettenberg Bay, Knysna, and Riversdale. The Lions Clubs in Uniondale and George will sponsor their local patients, and the Rotary Clubs in Beaufort West, Mossel Bay and Oudtshoorn will also sponsor the cataract surgeries in their respective areas. A few local Ophthalmologists in private practice have offered to volunteer in order to help with the worthy cause.
The project forms part of a bigger drive by the Western Cape Department of Health to increase cataract surgeries across the province. The team hopes that this cataract surgery marathon will be a tremendous success and they are already planning to mark it as an annual event.
Source: The Knysna-Plett Herald